Telomeres (green) protect the ends of chromosomes from damage. Courtesy of the Salk Institute
As we age, the protective structures at the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, gradually shorten. It triggers a response similar to how the immune system fights a virus, destroying potentially cancerous cells. Understanding the interaction between telomeres and mitochondria will help prevent cancer and develop new cancer therapies.
A research team led by Professor Jan Carlzeder of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences in the U.S. published the results of this research in the international journal Nature on the 8th (local time).
Telomeres refer to protective structures at the ends of chromosomes and serve as a protective film that disappears in place of important genetic information whenever cells divide. When telomere length is shortened below a certain level, cells enter a state of senescence in which they stop dividing.
Properly regulating telomere length so that cells can function normally is important in the aging process of cells and the entire organism, but if this process goes wrong, cancer can occur. This is because if cells continue to divide even though telomeres do not decrease, there is a high possibility that they will turn into cancer cells. Therefore, an accurate understanding of the telomere maintenance principle can be a theoretical basis for anti-cancer strategies and aging delays.
The research team conducted a genetic test using human skin cells called fibroblasts. The results showed that RNA molecules from short telomeres activate immune sensors called ‘ZBP1’ and ‘MAVS’ in a unique way on the mitochondrial outer surface. It triggers a response similar to how the immune system fights a virus, destroying potentially cancerous cells.
In the future, the researchers plan to explore cancer prevention and treatment by targeting the molecular transfer pathway between telomeres and mitochondria.
“Cancer is a multi-step process that requires many changes throughout the cell,” said Joe Nassar Salk, senior researcher at the Institute for Biological Sciences, who participated in the study. will be able to,” he said.
